Fall Retreat Devotion #2

This was devotion #2 of our fall retreat.  The theme of the retreat was Psalm 63, focusing on pursuing God.

God Time #2

In a few weeks we will be celebrating Thanksgiving.  Of course, with Thanksgiving comes food.  Lots of food. 

*What kinds of foods does your family eat at Thanksgiving?

*What is your favorite thing to eat at Thanksgiving?

*If you could eat anything in the world, what would it be?

Now, what does this have to do with God?

In our last quiet time, we read about David in Psalm 63.  He was on the run, feeling very weary and rejected.  But his reaction was to turn to God.  Read Psalm 63:1-3 for a little reminder.

Now, go on and read verses 4 & 5.

How does David compare the satisfaction he finds in God?

TO THE RICHEST OF FOODS.

At first you might think that’s kind of an odd comparison, but think about 2 things:

            #1:  David is in the desert, on the run, when he’s writing this.  Can you imagine how hungry            and thirsty he is?

            #2:  There are only a few absolute necessities in this world, and one of them is food.

David look to God in his time of trouble, and not only is he encouraged by God’s love, it satisfies him.

So, my question for you today is:  Are you allowing God to satisfy you?

Turn to another Psalm—Psalm 103.  Spend some time reading this psalm.  Then list the ways this psalm mentions how God satisfies us.  Take your time and really think about each of these.

It’s a pretty long list, isn’t it?

But it’s the truth.

Whatever you’re going through in life right now (or in the future), only God can satisfy you.  BUT you have to seek God and put Him above everything else.

It’s like that Thanksgiving dinner we were thinking about.  If you filled up on Cheeze-its right before dinner started, you wouldn’t have room for the good stuff.  The satisfying stuff.

What are you filling your life with?  Sports?  Music?  Internet?  Phone?  Dating?  Parties?  Clubs?  Academics?  Job?  Friends?

These things aren’t necessarily bad things, but if you fill up on them, what room is left for God?

Take a few moments and pray.  Ask God to satisfy you and commit to spend time seeking Him.

Fall Retreat Devotions

In case you want to read what I wrote for the high school students on their fall retreat this weekend, here is day one's devotion.  I'll post day two's tomorrow:

God Time #1

This weekend we are studying Psalm 63.  It was written by David when he was in the Desert of Judah.

*What are some words that come to mind when you think of a desert?

Why is David in the desert?  He is on the run.  Again.  Years before, David had to run away from King Saul.  But now David is king.  Who is such a terrible enemy that it makes the king run away?

His own son, Absalom.

Read 2 Samuel 15:1-12.

*Describe what Absalom is doing in this passage.

*How would you feel if you were David during this time?

Psalm 63 gives us a little glimpse into what David was feeling.  Read verse 1.

The #1 focus David has in this verse is SEEKING GOD. 

He could take this circumstance and. . .

 be mad at God, 

          turn to others and seek revenge,

                   feel sorry for himself,

but he doesn’t. 

Instead, he chooses to seek God.

Why does he choose this?  Read verses 2-3.

DAVID SEEKS GOD BECAUSE HE HAS SEEN GOD’S POWER BEFORE.

*When you have a time, like David, where you are alone, where do you turn?

*Have you seen God’s power before?  Write for a few minutes about a time when you saw the power of God.

*How does it make you feel when you reflect on that?

If you are struggling to come up with a time, read some of the passages listed below that show the power of God.  Please know that the same God who worked in the Bible is living in us today!

Genesis 1:1-2:2

Exodus 7:14-11:10

Exodus 14:21-22

Joshua 5:13-6:27

1 Samuel 17

1 Kings 18:16-46

Matthew 15:29-39

Mark 8:22-26

Thursday Thank You's--Thanksgiving Tree Edition

This week, our family is thankful for. . .(drumroll, please):

*safe travels
*money to buy things
*Jimmy Johns
*Daddy's job
*good health
*stuff god made
*toys
*forgiveness
*the library

What are you thankful for?

What Works For Me: Daylight Savings Time

**Disclaimer:  I should have posted this last week.  Not so helpful the week after DST, but whatever. . .

People in Indiana are weird about Daylight Savings.  I've never seen anything like it.  For so many years we were rebels.  We didn't turn back.  We didn't turn forward.  We stayed the same and made life very confusing for the surrounding states.  "Wait, is Indiana the same time as us, or different?"

And then we buckled.

And for some reason, most folks around here just can't get over it.  It is the source of lots of complaining, and although I don't get it, I do see how Daylight Savings can wreak havoc on a little one's schedule.  Unlike adults, who can just sleep an extra hour or waste it doing something else, children might have trouble just staying up an extra hour or sleeping an hour more or less.

But, I am here to testify, sister (and brother) that it can be done!!

Here's what works for us:

Instead of dealing with an entire hour change, move the clocks forward, mentally, a little bit every day for a few days.  Three or four days before the actual change, start bumping nap times, meals, bedtimes, etc. up (or back, if it's spring) 15-20 minutes.  I promise, by the time the actual change rolls around, the transition will be seamless.

And that's what works for me.

Gulp!

David left for a 3 day work trip today, leaving me with the kids.  (P.S.  If you're a robber, please don't come and burglarize us this week while he's gone.  I still have the gun) (P.S.S.  Just kidding about the gun, but not about the robber).

These are things I think about when he is gone:

*How can I be in a house with such loud noise and chaos and yet feel lonely?

*I wish I had Lifetime/Hallmark/WE/any type of girl tv channel.  This would be the perfect time for it.

*Is 6:00 too early for bedtime?

*Please, God, don't let them get sick.

*It's Spaghettios for dinner tonight and cereal tomorrow night!

*How do Army/Navy etc. wives do this?

*I hope the dog doesn't die while David is gone.

*When do I get to go on a trip?

Is it wrong to share that last thought?

Mostly, what I realize when  David is gone is that we are a family.  Not four people who live in the same house.  Not two parents and two kids.  A family.  And when one of us is missing, things aren't right.  I also realize that this is a time for me to grow as a mom and for God to stretch and challenge me and force me to rely on Him.

So, I'm going to try my best to enjoy these next three days.  To try and do some fun things with the kids and relax.

And sharpen my sword in case of robbers.

Starting from Scratch

Imagine it. ..

*You're a mother of 2 children who is leaving an abusive relationship.  You get a place of your own, you get some food from the food bank, but you have nothing to cook the food in or eat the food on.

*You're a rehabilitated prisoner who is trying to make it on your own for the first time.  You spent all of your money getting your first apartment, and there is nothing left to buy kitchen items.

What good is a can of food if you don't have a can opener?

What good is some soup without a bowl to eat it in?

Over the past 6 months since David and I started helping out at Urban Outreach, we have learned so much.  We've learned about poverty, about how food stamps/assistance works, about how Jesus wants us to pour ourselves into people, not just hand them our old clothes.

One of the ways Urban Outreach helps others is through "Re-start" boxes.  These boxes are filled with essential kitchen items (dishes, silverware, pans, etc) and given out when someone is starting over.  I had never thought about how much all of those things cost when you're starting over with nothing.  Plus, if you don't have a car, it makes it even harder to get to different stores to buy these necessities.

Recently, we've been trying to create some extra re-start boxes, and it has been really exciting to see so many of our church members donate items for this.  Now we have 5 boxes ready to go for whenever someone in need comes to Urban Outreach. If you have any gently used kitchen items that you do not want or need, please let me know, and we can put them to use.  Jesus doesn't need us, but it sure feels good when He lets us be a part of His plan.

Crochet, chey, chey, what you want. . .

So, a long, long time ago I learned how to crochet.  And every few years I get out the old hooks and try my hand at it again.  It is really fun to learn new stitches and try out patterns.  I've made some hats, and I'm working on a pillow, plus I'm making Christmas gifts.  But this beauty is all for me:

It was really simple, and only took a couple of afternoons to make.  Noel was super excited because I let him pick out the yarn colors, so he feels like it was a team effort.

How do YOU find ways to be creative?

So, how are those goals working out?

About a month ago I listed some goals that I had for the fall.  I decided to go back and check to see how I'm doing on those.  Let's see. . .




*Get at least 5 rooms ready for trying to sell the house.--So far I'm on #3, so I'd better get going.

*Exercise at least 3 times a week.--I've been pretty good at this, with a few missed exercise days.  It's been so beautiful out I've been able to run.

*Get the kids outside for 30 minutes every day if it's at all possible.--We were pretty good with this. . .for a while.  Now the kids aren't so interested in my "nature walks" and "adventures".  Any ideas for things to do outside in chilly fall weather?

*Write devotions for the upcoming fall retreat.--done.  Fall retreat is next weekend.  I think I'll post the devotions next week, for anyone interested in reading them.

*Eat less processed food.  If I want a treat, I have to fix it from scratch!--Okay, this went really well UNTIL HALLOWEEN!  Yikes!  My car trash bag is full of candy wrappers, if that gives you any idea.  But at least our meals seem to be homemade :)

*de-clutter the kids' toys.--always a work in process.

*Get 6 Re-start boxes prepared for Urban Outreach (I'll write a post about this soon).--a)We have 5 complete boxes!!  b)I WILL write a post to explain what re-start boxes are.  I promise.


So, how are you doing with your fall goals?

Thursday Thank You's--Thanksgiving Tree Edition

This week, our family is thankful for. . .

*candy
*Halloween
*Family (cousins, aunts, uncles, etc.)
*the park that we can walk to from our house
*Tee Dog
*good health
*cars that run
*our toys
*laughter

What are you thankful for?

What works for me

**I'm linking this up to one of my favorite blogs, which has a "What Works for Me" site every Wednesday.  Check out more ideas here.

Saving Money.

None of these ideas are by any means unique or earth-shattering.  Also, for the record, I am not a coupon-crazy person.  I usually lose the coupon or don't remember to use it at the checkout.  However, I wanted to share some of the little things that add up to some saved money.

10 Things I Do To Save Money

1. Don't buy coffee out every day.  I love Starbucks, and I LOVE Dunkin' Donuts, but buying coffee and brewing it at home is so much cheaper.  Plus, you can find recipes to make your favorite lattes, mochas, etc. on Pinterest.

2. Eat leftovers at least one (if not two) nights a week, or eat them for lunch.  Wasting food is like throwing money in the trash can.  If you don't like leftovers, try and be creative--turn the leftover grilled chicken into noodle soup, make potato pancakes out of mashed potatoes.  If you can't eat the leftovers, consider freezing them for later.  Most things freeze pretty well.

3. Don't shop for entertainment.  If you're bored, don't go shopping.  I never walk out of Target empty-handed, so I try not to go there unless I really need to buy something.  And believe me, that is harder than it sounds, because Target is right across the street, and they have sooooo many cute things.

4.  Make a menu for the week.

5.  Make a grocery list.

6.  When traveling, pack snacks and drinks to go with you.

7.  Don't buys books!  Use the library or borrow them.  This might not save money for many, but for me it was a big one.

8.  Be patient.  If you're looking for something, try and find the best deal.  If you wait, you might be surprised at what comes your way.

9.  Hand-me-downs for the kids.  There are so many kids clothes out there, and most of them don't get worn out the first time, so find someone with bigger kids and see if they would be willing to sell, or lend, or give you their kids clothes.

10. Don't go overboard on holidays.  Try to make homemade gifts.  Do something as a family instead of buying so many gifts.  Better yet, spend money doing something for someone else as a family.

And what to do with the money you save?  Stay tuned for an upcoming post. . .

Trick or Treat

How could you not give every last piece of candy to these munchkins?

Yet again, they melt my heart.

We had a great Halloween.  Got to trick or treat with friends and the kids loved every minute of it.  The weather was perfect, too.  Plus, our neighborhood is packed with people on Halloween.  Lots of crazy people watching, but also lots of fun to be out and meet people.  If we move out of this neighborhood, Halloween will be one of the things I will definitely miss.

Fun in the Fall

This weekend was the first weekend in several weeks that we we haven't had lots of plans.  So we took full advantage of the free time and enjoyed some good ol' fall activities.

First, Noel and Elise painted the smaller pumpkins.

Then they carved pumpkins, with a little help from Dad.
(For the record, this might be one of the best pictures I have of all three of them together.  Everyone is smiling and nobody's eyes are closed!)

We also got to meet up with some friends who used to live in Kokomo.  We had a great time catching up and eating pizza together.

Then on Sunday we did a little bit of early trick-or-treating.  We went to my grandparents' house and then to a couple of houses in my parents' neighborhood.  The kids had a great time, although nobody knew what Noel was.  (I'll try and post pictures tomorrow, but he is a pig from the Angry Birds game).

We ended the night by lighting our jack-o-lanterns and watching them glow in the dark.

Happy Halloween, everyone!!!

Some Random Thoughts, of which I have many

*I love chocolate.  But, I am conflicted about my chocolate purchases because I am learning about the unethical practices of most of our chocolate producers in the United States, especially Hersheys.  It's hard to play ignorant  anymore.

*I went to the Children's Museum yesterday with the Cole family.  The kids had a great time.  I had fun, but I was exhausted by the end. Chasing a 2 year-old and a 5-year-old through a 4 story museum is hard work!

*Last weekend we had a retreat for jr. high and sr. high youth workers from our church.  In one of the sessions, we went over some statistics about teenagers, and my mind is still reeling from it.  I wasn't that shocked about the drugs, alcohol, etc. statistics.  What bothered me so much was the number of students who are abused in one way or another.  It breaks my heart that so many of our youth have to deal with these terrible issues.

*For the first time, the kids are pretty excited about Halloween.  Elise is going to be a princess, and Noel is going to be a pig from Angry Birds.  We are still working on his costume, but I'll try and post pictures once it's done.

*Today is Noel's 5-year doctor's appointment, which means the dreaded kindergarten shots.  I am sick to my stomach thinking about holding him down for 4, count 'em, 4 shots!!!  I want to say "poor guy," but I also want to say "blessed guy" because so many children don't have the opportunity to get immunizations.  Of course, I won't give him a guilt trip about that.  Today :)

*If you have a Compassion child, you can write to them online now.  It's super easy, and it includes stationary options and photo uploads.  If you don't have a Compassion child, stop reading my blog and go sponsor one right now here.  

*Have a wonderful weekend!

Thursday Thank You's--Thanksgiving Tree Edition

Since we are creating our Thanksgiving Tree, I decided that for the next few weeks the Thursday Thank You's will be a list of what we as a family have put on the tree.

We are thankful for (in no particular order):
*Mommy
*Daddy
*Noel
*Elise
*Family Walks
*Homemade Food
*Apple Pie
*Good Grandparents
*Our House
*Our Church
*My Blankie (have you met Elise, aka Linus?)
*My Princess Dresses (again, meet Elise. . .)
*Music
*Stuff God Made
*Sundays
*Our Friends
*The Library

What are you thankful for?

Best. Concert. Ever

Last night, I got to redeem my birthday present.  David took me to see David Crowder*Band at the Long Center in Lafayette.  First of all, it is a BEAUTIFUL theatre.  Very small and old-looking, with the old school marquee out front.  Since this is Crowder's last tour we paid a couple of extra dollars to get "VIP" tickets.  This just means that we got in 30 minutes early.  Normally, this isn't a big deal, but this show was open admission/seating, so getting there early was really nice in getting a good seat.  We sat in the 9th row, right in the middle, which was uh-mazing.

Disclaimer:  These pictures are awful.  All I had was my cell phone, and it's not really set up to take good pictures.  And I KNOW this is breaking all kinds of blogging rules by posting terribly fuzzy pictures, but I had to have proof of how close I was and how cool the stage looked.

Instead of one opening act, this show had 3.  First up was John Mark McMillan.  If you've never heard of him, he is the guy who wrote "How He Loves".  His voice is very distinct, almost like an old country singer, but the words to his songs are so poetic.  He sang one song called "Murdered Son" that made me cry.  I was really impressed with John Mark.  He didn't seem to be putting on a show; he was just sharing his heart.  (Sidenote:  one of his guitar players looked a little like Willy Wonka.  Purple coat with tails.  hmmmm. . .)

 Next up was Chris August.  Now, I must confess that I didn't know who Chris August was until he sang his last song, "Starry Night", which got lots of airplay on Christian radio.  Before the show, I was standing in the aisle talking to my friends Bre and Hannah, and Chris was right next to me, signing autographs.  I seriously had no idea, and then Bre says, "Hey, that's Chris August."  I didn't want to look stupid, so I totally faked knowing him.  Then I looked around and realized that dozens of people were taking his picture, and it looked like he and I were together, so I leaned over to him and said, "I hope all of these people don't mind me being in all of their pictures of you."  He said, "Are you kidding?  I was just standing next to you so I could be in all of their pictures of you."  Ha!  So we linked arms, turned, and let a bunch of people (who have no idea who I am) take our picture.  Later, when I told Bre and Hannah that I had no idea who he was they thought it was hilarious!  So, now I like to think Chris and I are new BFF's.

The last opening act was Gungor. Without being too biased, I will say that Gungor blew the other two opening acts away.  They were incredible.  Seriously, incredible.  They didn't bring their whole band, so they did an acoustic set.  All three of the members who were there were amazing.  The cellist beatboxed while he was playing cello AT THE SAME TIME and the lead singer (Mr. Gungor--I don't know what his first name is) played guitar, mandolin, sang, and played the drum with his foot.  And Mrs. Gungor played xylophone, squeeze box, organ, and sang.  They were SOOOOOOO good! Their music is so elevated, it was hard to take in all of the things going on in a song.

And then there was Crowder.

Sigh.

David (Wittenbach, not Crowder) and I have been long time fans of David Crowder.  We have most of their albums, and have so many memories of their songs.  It was kind of bittersweet to see them for the last time, but it was wonderful.  They played oldies like "There is No One Like You" and "O Praise Him" as well as some of their new songs.  They also played a couple of bluegrass numbers that were really fun and shared a couple of songs from their Christmas album.  They played for 2 hours!  One of the best parts was when they sang "How He Loves", and John Mark McMillan, Chris August, and Mr. Gungor came back to join the band.  Incredible.

Last night I was reminded of a few things:

1.  Date nights are fun.
2.  Music is an awesome gift from God when we choose to give it back to Him.
3.  I need to play my guitar more often, especially if Chris August ever needs a back-up singer.

Preparing for Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday.  By far.  Christmas is fun, but all of the commercialism and wasted money gives me a stomach ache.  But for the most part Thanksgiving has not been turned into another reason to buy more stuff.

But sometimes I wonder if we spend more time preparing our food and our houses for Thanksgiving than we do our hearts.

In an effort to change that in our household, we are making a Thanksgiving tree.

We went for a walk a few days ago and found some twigs and branches.  Then we put them in a vase on the dining room table.  Now, every night at dinner, we cut a few circles out and spend a couple of minutes sharing something we are thankful for.  (My favorite so far:  Elise is thankful for her blankie!) Then we punch a hole in the circles and hang them on the tree.  If we keep doing this, the branches will be overloaded with our "leaves" of gratitude that we can share on Thanksgiving.

Today marks one months until Thanksgiving.  I hope each person who reads this finds something to do to be thankful for the month (and all of the other months, too!)  If you have any other ideas of ways to do this, please share!

Driving North to go Down on the Farm

 I wish everyone had in-laws who had an apple orchard.  I wish I could take you all in our car with us.  We always have such a nice time at the farm, not just because there are tons of fun things to do, but because we get to spend time with part of David's family, and that is very important to us.

Some highlights from our trip:

 *Playing in the leaves

*Tractor and Combine Rides

*Noel and Elise tried having a "sleepover", but Elise would not stop talking!!  It was hilarious and frustrating at the same time.  Noel thought it would be so much fun to sleep in the same room, but the second night he asked to be in a different room because Elise was so noisy!
*We went to Liz and Tye's band performance and Tori and Justyce's soccer games.  I hate living so far from our nieces and nephews because we miss out on their activities, so this was a great opportunity to see them.
*Sunday family dinner
*Picking apples and meeting some of the workers.
*Visiting the apple packing plant.  They had been packing for 34 days straight, so things were a little stressful there, but it was really neat to see how the apples go from tree to delivery truck.  Noel was fascinated by the whole thing.
*Just being together.  My children (and I) are so incredibly blessed to have so many family members who love us!  I always say that any activity with our kids isn't great unless it ends in tears, and that's how we always leave the farm.  "I don't want to go!"  "How come we have to leave?"  Cause if we stay they will put us to work, Noelman, that's why!

Happy Fall!

Thank You Thursday

I am thankful for. . .

401. hard conversations that hurt, but are needed.
402. wonderful trip to the farm, filled with tractor rides, apple picking, family, and fun.
403. getting to use my writing in different ways.
404. a breakthrough with one of our life group students.
405. my friend Ginny.  She if advocating for children, like Oscar, who need our help.  Read it here.
406. a book that I've been reading to help me better understand poverty and the people who are living in it.
407. a school who donated 200 computers to Urban Outreach that they will give to people who complete the computer course!
408. new Christmas music!
409. discovering the beautiful combination of pumpkin and chocolate chips.
410. a wonderful husband who not only makes my coffee every morning, but is taking me to see DAVID CROWDER Tuesday night!  I'm soooo excited!

What are you thankful for?

On a lighter note. . .What Works For Me

I'm linking up my post to one of my favorite blogs today.  On Wednesdays, We are THAT Family shares "What Works For Me" and then asks us to share the same.

So, here's something that works for me.

Let me preface this by saying it's kind of weird.

Once a week when I clean the kids' bathroom, I clean their toothbrushes.  To do this, I put them, bristle side down, in a glass liquid measuring cup.  Then I add just enough water to cover the bristles.

And then I microwave it.

Yes, microwave it, for 4-5 minutes.

I have no scientific evidence that this is at all helpful, but the boiling water helps keep the kids' brushes stay nicer, it gets rid of the leftover toothpaste build-up on the brush, and I like to believe that it gets rid of some of the mouth germs that can hang around in there.  (Sidenote:  I have a separate toothpaste for each child.  I feel like that spreads less germs as well).

AND HERE'S THE BONUS ( A 2-for-1, if you will):

After you take the toothbrushes and glass out of the microwave, the steam from the water makes it really easy to wipe down the inside of your microwave.  Give it a quick swipe and it looks all shiny and clean!

What works for you?

Heavy Heart

If you read my blog, please stop and say a prayer for my family.  We are having a rough time dealing with my grandfather, who has dementia.  This week we are having a family meeting with elders from our church to talk about it.  I have a stomach ache just thinking about it.  If there is a word that describes my grandfather, it would be passionate.  If he believes in something, he will not rest until others around him do as well.  This is turning out to be a very hard thing to handle as he is battling dementia now.  So, I'm just asking anyone who reads this to pray for my family, especially my grandma and grandpa and my mom.  She bears most of the weight of taking care of them at this point, and it weighs on her a great deal.

400 Thank yous

Several months ago I read an amazing book, One Thousand Gifts, by Ann VosKamp.  I cannot recommend this book high enough.  It really changed the way I thought about giving thanks, why and when I do it, and how Jesus did it.  And from that book came my Thursday Thank-yous.  Every Thursday I write down 10 things I'm thankful for.  Sometimes it's easy.  Sometimes I struggle; not because I have nothing to be thankful for, but because the day has been hard.  It's a lot easier to give thanks when everything is going well.  But the true thanksgiving comes in being grateful through the hard.  So, rain or shine, I give thanks.

I am thankful for. . .

391. music.

392.  getting to catch up with some friends from high school over the weekend.

393.  These amazing fall days we have been having.

394. God's plan, even when I have no idea what it is right now concerning where we should live and what I should do for a living.

395. lazy days.

396. the fact that each of us has a story, and when we share it, it touches people's lives.

397.  Texas Sheet Cake.  There, I said it, and I'm not ashamed.

398. packing up to head to Wittenbach Orchards tomorrow!

399. my kids' imaginations.

400. upcoming date with my husband to see David Crowder Band on their final tour.

What are you thankful for?

What have you been given?

One time when I was in high school, I was talking to a friend of mine at church, and I made the comment, "I can't wait to be old enough to. . ." I can't even remember what it was I wanted to be old enough to do.  What I DO remember is my friend's grandma (who was one of the sweetest ladies I've known) said, "Honey, don't wish your life away."

That has always stuck with me.

I work with students who are in junior and senior high.  A huge amount of their time is spent wishing.  Wishing to be older, prettier, stronger, in a different place in their lives.  And I try again and again to encourage them to enjoy every stage of their lives.  It goes by so quickly.

And then I eat my words, because as adults we are guilty of the exact same thing.

How many of us wish for something we don't have?  How many of us are discontent because _____________.  Maybe it's the stage your kids are in.  Maybe it's the way you look.  Maybe it's something tangible, like the job you are dreaming of or the career path you decided on.  Maybe it's some trials you are in the middle in.

Every one of us has a ____________ that we focus way too much on.  We are wishing our lives away instead of enjoying every moment we have.  Our preacher reminded me of that in his sermon yesterday, and then I heard about it again this morning on the radio, so I think God is definitely trying to tell me something.  I figure if He's telling me, maybe somebody reading this needs to know, too.

How are you going to make the most of today.  Don't let it slip by, filling it up with wishes for something different.  Use it to live abundantly (John 10:10)!

Thursday Thank You's

I am thankful for. . .

381.laughter.
382. high school students who babysit my kids.
383. jumper cables.
384. money to buy the groceries we need.
385. articles that convict me to live differently.  Check this one out:  Rage Against the Mini-van
386.  celebrating Noel's birthday.
387.  one more last burst of sunshine and warm weather!
388. conversation so good you stand outside of Starbucks after it closes for an hour and a half to keep talking.
389. all things pumpkin:  buying pumpkins for jack-o-lanterns, pumpkin bread, pumpkin pancakes. . .you get the idea.
390. a neat and tidy husband who cleans up my clutter.

What are you thankful for?

A Whole Hand

Today Noel turns 5 years old.

A whole hand.

I always rolled my eyes at people who went on and on about how time flies.  But I feel like I blinked and my little munchkin was on his way to being a kid.

Happy birthday, Noel!  You are a treasure from God that we are so thankful for.  Your strange sense of humor keeps us on our toes.  I've never met someone who pays so much attention to detail (definitely not a trait he inherited from me).  You are smart, brave, and imaginative.  And to watch you play with your little sister just melts my heart.

Now, please stop growing and stay five forever.

Sincerely,
Your mom

The Remains of the Garden. . .

We are almost done with the garden.  Actually, after last night's frost, we might be completely done.  But Saturday we picked what was left, pulled out the plants, and tilled the garden.  We still have a bowl full of peppers and tomatoes that haven't been taken care of as well.  But my first goal was to try and figure out something to do with all of our hot peppers.  I've frozen a few bags of them, but I don't really use them enough, so I didn't want to freeze 10 bags of them.  

And then I remembered that our dear friend Rita gave us her old dehydrater a few years back.  

 First, I cut all of the peppers lengthwise and placed them on the trays.  5 trays of peppers.  My hands were ON FIRE!!

 Then we let them dry.

and dry.

and dry.

In total, they dried about 30 hours.

In addition, the air in the kitchen cleared up my sinuses during this whole process.  And I may or may not have sneezed so many times in a row that I kind of peed my pants.

 Then I put them in our little food chopper and ground it into powder, and. . .

Presto!  Red pepper flakes!  David said, "Are those like the shakers from Pizza Hut?"  Yes, yes they are.

What am I going to do with all of these red pepper flakes?  I'm not sure yet.  Chili, salsa, fajitas, soups, breakfast smoothies, face scrubs. . .

Okay, just kidding.

Who would put these in chili?

Happy preserving!

Shout out!

Today I'd like to give a shout out to. . .

New episodes of some of my favorite tv shows!

I'm not gonna lie--I love me some tv.  We don't have great cable, and we try to keep the tv off while the kids are awake, so I don't have much time to actually watch tv, but thanks to the DVR, when I do get to watch tv, I have a great line-up of shows ready.

These are some shows I am currently loving:

Parenthood.  David says it's too girly for him to watch, but I think it's great.  Every time I think I have a favorite character, another one makes me fall in love with them.  I love that they interact like a real family.  They step on each other's words, conversations don't always get wrapped up neatly, and there is lots of laughter at each sibling's expense.  Love it.

The Amazing Race.  This is one of only a handful of shows that David and I like watching together.  We each pick a team to root for, and whoever's team goes the furthest wins the prize (to be determined).  For the record, I'm cheering on the snowboarders, and David's team is the father-son team.

Parks and Recreation.  Funny stuff. One of the only comedies that consistently makes me laugh out loud.  Maybe it's because I live in the equivalent of Pawnee, Indiana, or maybe because I love Amy Poehler, but it's just funny.  I think I watched last year's season finale 4 times over the summer.  Oh, Lil Sebastian. . .

Top Chef.  Right now Top Chef Just Desserts is on, and it's okay, but there is nothing like the real thing.  The new season starts in November, and they are traveling all over Texas, so you know I am all kinds of excited about that.

Castle and The Mentalist.  These two shows are kind of lumped together in the drama/mystery/funny sidekick genre.  But I really do like both of them.  Have you all seen the movie Waitress with Kerri Russell?  Every time I watch Castle I think about that movie because Nathan Fillion was in it.  That's just a little sidenote for you.

So, what shows am I missing?  Any recommendations?**

**I don't like Glee; don't ask me to watch it anymore.
**There are some other shows I like (Big Bang Theory & Modern Family come to mind), but they aren't always appropriate, and I'm not sure I should be watching them.  Maybe I shouldn't be watching any of these, but I guess that's a subject for another post. . ..

By the way, if you're reading this, become a follower (look at the right hand column)

Thursday Thank You's

These are some things I am thankful for:

371.  music on Pandora.  I love it.  Sincerely, I do.

372.  three words:  Apple.  Cider.  Slushie.     mmmmmmmmmmmm. . .

373. speaking of apples, an upcoming trip to the farm.

374.  morning quiet time.

375.  beautiful fall weather, including the rain.

376.  hearing Elise tell David, "Noel and I got married today!"  Translation:  She put on a fancy dress and he spun her around.  Will they always love each other this much?

377.  a friend who tells me what I need to hear, even when it's not easy to say it.

378.  re-learning how to crochet.

379.  a little boy who will be five--A WHOLE HAND!--by this time next week.

380.  Getting to share the moment with Noel and Elise when they saw their very first real rainbow.  Priceless!

What are you thankful for?

Goals

I am a list person.  I'm not ashamed to admit it.  I have learned that if I don't have a list I don't get much accomplished.  I also have come to learn that I need to always be ready to trash the list and do something else if needs arise.

But without a list I will sit on Pinterest and read books all day (sounds like a great vacation, but not a very productive day-to-day lifestyle).

So I'm trying to take the "list" mentality to the next level and make some longer term goals for myself.  Here are some for the fall:

*Get at least 5 rooms ready for trying to sell the house.
*Exercise at least 3 times a week.
*Get the kids outside for 30 minutes every day if it's at all possible.
*Write devotions for the upcoming fall retreat.
*Eat less processed food.  If I want a treat, I have to fix it from scratch!
*de-clutter the kids' toys.
*Get 6 Re-start boxes prepared for Urban Outreach (I'll write a post about this soon).

What are your goals for the next few months?

Homemade Croutons

I found this on Pinterest the other day, and I wanted to share it, because it worked so well.

HOMEMADE CROUTONS

There, I said it. 

They are so easy to make, and once you realize how cheap they are, you'll never buy the ones in a bag again.

So, this is what you need:

*old bread (not moldy, just dry and not good for sandwiches, etc. anymore.)  If you wanted to, you could save your heels in the freezer and do this.
*olive oil
*spices of your choice:  salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, Garlic Salt, and Paprika are what I used

 (I know you like the clearance sticker on my pepper dish.  Yeah, I got it about 2 years ago.  Don't rush me!

Step #1:  get an able-bodied-almost-4-year-old and promise him fun with a butter knife.
Step #2:  cube up old bread and put in a bowl. **
**step #1 may be skipped if said child cannot be found.  Or you can come to my house and let Noel do it.

 Once the bread is cut, drizzle oil over the cubes, sprinkle with seasonings, and bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes.  They should look something like this:

That's it.  See?  I told you it was easy!  Store in an airtight container until ready to use.

Enjoy!

Good weekend

These are just some of the things that we enjoyed this weekend:

 On Friday, Elise and I joined Noel and his pre-school for a trip to Guffey Acres.  It was super fun.  There is so much to do there, and the kids all loved it.  Noel said on the way home, "I don't think I could handle any more fun in one day!"  The picture above is most of Noel's class (including Elise.  She decided she was part of the class as well) in front of Squarely, the farm's mascot.

 Barrel Ride.  I am savoring these moments, where they actually want to ride and play together.

 Learning about how corn is grown and its many uses. 

Friday night we went to a church in town for a puppet show.  One of David's co-workers told us about it.  The show was okay (the kids liked it), but the highlight was when one of the adults wanted to use a visual aid to show us about God's power.  He tried the Mentos in Diet Coke trick, but didn't think about the effects.  It shot all over the church stage, the front row, and down the aisle!  We laughed about that poor guy all night.

Saturday was rainy, and to be honest I was kind of grumpy about some stupid stuff, so I loaded the kids up and we went to McDonald's Playplace (aka the germ factory).  Again, I cherished seeing the two of them want to play together.  And, I figured out a little secret.  If you buy something they have to eat with a spoon (the yogurt parfait) it's not so gross thinking about them running around inside the playground and then eating.  Consider that your gross tip of the day.

Saturday night I made stir-fry, and the kids learned the beauty of the eggroll.  For the record, I did not make the eggrolls.  We always get them from a Chinese take-out place around the corner (one of the many things I will miss if we move out of this neighborhood).

We also took some bread that was getting old and made croutons, but that is tomorrow's post.

Sunday we had church, and David spoke at the Awake service (for jr. & sr. high).  I was so proud of him, especially because speaking is not something he loves to do.  But he stepped out of his comfort zone and did it, and it was great. 

I will leave you with this little gem of a picture.  I totally forgot to share any pictures from the kids' first bowling experience.  Black lights + music + bumpers + cool shoes = fun for everyone.

How did you rock this weekend?

Shout out

So, the buzz going on everywhere is about all of the changes Facebook is making.  I love Facebook as much as the next person.  I like to connect with people and see what's going on with them.  And I really like looking at their pictures.  I find it funny that everyone is all worked up about a free service that nobody is making them be a part of, but nobody likes to walk into their comfy living room and find a rearranged mess that you don't understand, right?

In light of all of this, I'd like to give a shout out to Pinterest.

Pinterest, you say?

Yes.

What is it?

Well, it's a social network of sorts, but instead of sharing your complaints about the service at Arby's or your funny story from dinner, you share pictures that you find online. 

And I love pictures.

And with your pictures you make boards (Think of them as bulletin boards) that are in categories, like Food, Design, Places, Quotes, Books, etc.  Whatever you want.  And you can follow anyone who is on Pinterest.  So, if you find a person whose pins are really cool, you can follow them and see.  And people can follow you, too. 

I am by no means an expert on Pinterest, but it is really entertaining and I don't feel like a creeper so much :)

So check it out here!

Thursday Thank-yous

I am thankful for. . .

361.  getting to hear my friend Ginger speak at a ladies' retreat.  She was so good and spoke such truth!

362. the privilege to pray and a God who listens to my heart. 

363. being able to pass on lots of Noel's baby clothes.  A little bittersweet, but worth it.

364. opportunities to learn.  I never want to stop learning.

365.  Mickey Mouse's "Hot Dog" dance.  Has there ever been a better ending to a cartoon?  I think not!

366.  getting to tour Kokomo Urban Outreach's new community center.  Exciting things planned!

367.  a great back yard that the kids have decided is the perfect place to play hide and seek.

368. a wonderful, supportive husband who understands me even when nobody else does.

369. my health.  And when I'm sick, that there is a doctor nearby.  I take it so for granted.

370.  the Sing-Off.  Have you all seen this?  That is some amazing singing!  Although I kind of think Ben Folds looks like Dana Carvey in a bad wig.  Is anyone else with me on this one?

What are you thankful for?

We're selling our house. . .I think. . .maybe. . .yes. . .probably. . .

For a couple of years David and I have been talking about selling our house and moving to the country.  I love our house.  I wish I could just pick it up and put it in a bigger yard, but I doubt that is going to happen.  So, we've been looking at houses, just a few, and trying to "spruce up" our own house for when we put it on the market.  We've started with paint.  I've been touching up the woodwork and walls, and last night I painted the kitchen a different shade of green.

Before

After.

I promise, it's much more dramatic in person.  Okay, not really, we just went a little lighter.

We also changed the lights in the living room above the fireplace.

Okay, this is the only picture I can find of our old lights, but if you look over Noel's shoulder you can see them.  They look like candles on little stands.

Here are the new ones:

Doesn't everyone have a bucket of corn on their mantle?  Right next to their wedding picture?

As you can see, we still have some more "sprucing up" to do, but we're on the right track!

More pictures to come.

Getting back on the horse

Sometimes I feel like blogging is similar to eating right or exercising.  When I do it, I usually am happy with what I write and I feel good that I shared something of a coherent thought with the world wide web, since most of my day is spent making tractor sounds and explaining why you shouldn't lick the carpet.

But then I skip a day of blogging.

And another.

And another.

I get out of the routine, and it's hard to get back into the swing of writing.  But I know it's good for me.  It's a way to keep my sanity and to share a little of what is going on in this brain of mine.

So, I'm back on the wagon (or is it off the wagon--remember that Seinfeld episode where they argued about that?  What was the official answer?),

There.  I feel better already.

Thursday Thank-yous

Every Thursday I write down at least ten things I am thankful for.  I encourage each person who reads this to do the same.  It's so easy to get sucked into the trap of being negative and critical.  Choose to be thankful!  I am thankful for. . .

351. a batch of apples sent in the mail from Wittenbach Orchards.

352. getting to serve at Kokomo Urban Outreach in different ways.

353. the knowledge and assurance of Heaven. 

354. rediscovering how to crochet (even if all I've made are flops so far!)

355. impromptu date night this week because neither of my children wanted to eat dinner, so they went and played while we sat and ate and talked.  I never thought I'd be happy to say my kids didn't want to eat!  Ha!

356. good conversations with people.

357. apple crisp (see #351)--it's just as good as apple pie and much easier to make.

358. my kids' love of babysitters.  They are sad when the BABYSITTER has to leave!

359. the gift of prayer.

360. popcorn.  Are we the only people left on the planet who still cook it the "right" way, on the stove?  Love it!

What are you thankful for?

Writer's Block

I'm in a bit of a writing funk.  I'm sure I'll get out of it soon.  Here's what I'm chalking it up to:

*The garden is almost done, so I can't really write about that (except about how I'm pretty sick of tomatoes and that David made the most amazing fresh salsa last night that my mouth was burning but I wanted more and more and more)

*I'm teaching Insight (Sunday School) for the high school students.  We're studying the book of 1 Samuel, so I've been working on that.  I'm positive I learn more by teaching a lesson, know what I mean?

*We have been outside a lot.  Now that it's not blazing hot and we feel like we are living on borrowed time because in the blink of an eye it will be 30 degrees and raining, we have been outside as much as possible.  Even when the kids don't want to go outside I make them.  Am I turning into my mother??  Don't answer that.

*Two words:  Harry Potter.  I never really got into the Harry Potter craze when it started years ago, but just recently I decided to give it a try.  The first three books were really good--and not incredibly long, unlike this 700 page monstrocity on my coffee table that has a due date in 2 1/2 weeks.  It's good; I'm just feeling a little pressed for time to finish it.  Now, the next question is:  to watch the movie or not?

So that's why I can't write.  Or maybe that's what I'm writing about.  However you look at it, I will be back tomorrow with things I'm thankful for, and they will not include Harry Potter or tomatoes, so stay tuned!!

Shout out

Today, I'd like to give a shout out (and a little plug) to the next best thing in apples: the Sweetango

This apple is a hybrid mix that the University of Minnesota has been working on for several years.  We've been getting sneak tastes of them for a few years, and are super excited that the Sweetango is starting to be sold in markets nationwide.  If you think a Honeycrisp is good, just try the Sweetango.  Sooooo good.  I don't know how well they do as far as baking, but just eating for a snack they are hands down the best!

Shout out!!

Thursday Thank-yous

I am thankful for. . .

341.  good babysitters.
342.  fall weather.
343.  my brave, funny, crazy children.
344.  date night out with David to an Irish pub and then driving around in the country.
345.  the end of the garden. . .I was getting tired of canning tomatoes!
346.  my (very late, I know) new found love of Harry Potter books.
347.  my birthday gift:  tickets to see David Crowder Band on their last tour!
348. learning how my digital camera can help a family in poverty.  (More about this in another post.)
349. 4 day week for the hubby.  That boy needs a break!
350.  answered prayers for a girl in Haiti.  Hopefully they have found a doctor in the states for her!

What are you thankful for?

9.11.01

My first year teaching at Noblesville Middle School is one I will never forget.  Because I taught two subjects within the same team, I had each student at least twice a day, sometimes up to four times a day because of study hall and this crazy thing called "double instruction" that I won't even begin to explain.  Anyway, I really got to know those students.  Instead of having 130+, I had 55. 

Morgan,
Robert,
David,
Tony,
Emily,
Wendy,
Kali,
Paul,
Michael,
Chase. . .

The list goes on.  I remember learning with them, as I had never taught Social Studies before (and havent' taught it since) and learned the difference between teaching high school students and eighth graders.  We had quite a crazy year.  There was lots of laughter, learning, and growing.  But there were challenges with students who were expelled, students in troubled homes, students who wanted to fit in and couldn't.

That first year was also memorable because I met one of my dearest friends in the whole wide world.  God knew I would need a friend as I started on my new adventure all by myself, and he provided that in a big way, and although I didn't stay at Noblesville until 2014 like I promised (it sounded so far away at the time), we are still great friends.

But most of all, I remember that these were the students I experienced 9.11 with. 

I remember Joe, the teacher next door, coming over between class periods to tell me what happened. 

I remember getting an email that said not to turn on the tv because we weren't sure what the students mights see. 

I remember trying to teach regular lessons while I felt like the country was falling apart. 

For some reason, I have this vivid memory of driving home and looking at people in the passing cars differently, as if we all kind of understood life was different now.

And I remember feeling very stupid, because here I am, a Social Studies teacher, and I have no idea why terrorists attacked the World Trade Center.  Nothing like a national tragedy to make me actually pay attention to world politics.

There were flags everywhere.  Everyone was suddenly much more patriotic.  "Never forget" became some sort of anthem.

And then slowly, over the past 10 years, I have forgotten.  Life has gone on as normal for me, and I'm embarassed to say that. 

Over the last 9 months, I've been reading and studying about other countries and how to pray for them.  And as the ten year anniversary of 9.11 is approaching, I can't help but think of all of the other countries who have had terrible atrocities, genocides, wars, exploitations, and not only did I forget, but I never noticed in the first place. 

So, while I am remembering those tragic events of 9.11 and honoring the brave men and women who sacrifice so that we can live in a free country, I am also praying for countries like Zimbabwe, Thailand, and Haiti, where tragedy is an every day event.

May we remember, and never forget.

I was born on Labor Day, but wasn't everybody? Ha!

This weekend was a whirlwind of fun. In three short days we packed in. . .

*a trip to the park (David and the kids)
*a trip to the library (me and the kids)
*dinner and a drive in the country (sans kids)
*church
*trip to Ft. Wayne
*swimming
*exploring hotel and downtown Ft. Wayne (which, by the way, is empty on Labor Day weekend) with David's sister and family.
*lots of good food
*good conversation
*some shopping
*trip to Oabache State Park, where we fed Bison and some of us climbed a huge fire tower

Oh, yeah, and my kids had a couple of monumental meltdowns that will go in the record books, but I'm trying not to focus on those. 

35 was a good year.  I feel like I was challenged in good ways and I really grew.  Some years kind of slip by me, but I feel like I made the best of 35 and I was open to God using me in new and different ways, and I am very thankful for it.  So, welcome #36. I will try not to be afraid of you.  I will try to embrace you every day and make the most of every opportunity.

What did you do this weekend?

Shout out

Today, I'd like to give a shout out to. . .

CHURCH COOKBOOKS!!

I wish I had learned of their amazing-ness years ago. 

Church cookbooks have such fun, delicious recipes.  And they definitely don't have to be from your church.  I have cooksbooks from my mother-in-law's old church and my sister-in-laws church.  Thanks to these cookbooks, I have made some really good comfort food.  Casseroles, cookies, brownies, pies.  Today Noel and I made "Unbelievable Rolls".  Noel rolled each one out.  I wish I took a picture of how concentrated he was while doing it.  We're going to put pulled pork on them and make sandwiches tonight to go with homemade baked beans. 

So, if you're looking for a present for me (tomorrow is my birthday, you know), a good old church cook book does the trick.

Disclaimer:  If you have a really old church cookbook, be aware that some of the recipes are not good.  David and I spent one night laughing until we were crying over an old Baptist church cookbook.  It was full of jello mold recipes that involved meat, fruit, gelatin, and usually cottage cheese.  Skip those pages, please, and remember, I warned you.

Thursday Thank-yous

I am thankful for. . .

331.  David not having to travel to Mexico for work.

332.  finding time to run this week.

333.  an upcoming overnight trip to visit the Dean family.  Yee-haw!

334.  watching Noel use his imagination, especially with Legos.

335.  knowing that fall is coming.  Tailgating planned, Michigan apples, cooler mornings.  :)

336.  the love of my family.

337. new recipes found on Pinterest.

338. bad shows like "Toddlers & Tiaras" that make me feel like an AMAZING parent!  Ha!

339.  David and I agreeing to step out in faith and make some changes that might be a little uncomfortable, but are what we think God is telling us to do.

340.  the beginning of year #37 for me, starting on Saturday.

What are you thankful for?